BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- As China rolled out the red carpet Thursday for French President Francois Hollande, it is evident that the two countries hold dear their relations.
Hollande is the first leader of a major Western power to visit Beijing since China's new leadership took office. The bilateral affinity results from almost 50 years of friendly exchanges, despite occasional twists and turns.
France became in 1964 the first Western country to establish diplomatic ties with China, and Paris has long placed relations with Beijing as a foreign policy priority. The first foreign envoy Hollande received after taking office was Chinese Ambassador Kong Quan.
Leading a large delegation of business leaders, Hollande reportedly expects to nail more trade deals with China to rebalance bilateral trade and boost the sluggish growth back home, which is bogged down by a protracted financial crisis in the euro zone.
The French political and business communities should take heed that trade between China and France is heading toward more balanced growth, with China's imports from France growing at a much higher rate than its exports to France.
Official figures showed that in January, the two-way trade volume reached 4.18 billion dollars, up 5.3 percent from last year. China's imports from France stood at 1.83 billion dollars, up 25.5 percent year on year.
For those with concerns about "imbalanced China-France trade," they may also find solace in China's growing domestic demand as the country endeavors to divert its economic engines from investment and export to consumption.
French entrepreneurs could also play a role in China's recently unveiled plan to further modernize its industry and agriculture and push forward urbanization and the development of the information sector.
Aside from the anticipated emphasis on trade, China and France are also expected to further cement mutual political trust during Hollande's visit.
Several former French presidents, including Charles de Gaulle, Valery Giscard D'estaing and Jacques Chirac, are household names in China, either for their political courage or for their amazing understanding of the Chinese culture. It is hoped that this name list could be longer in the future.
China and France, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should further strengthen coordination and cooperation so as to better safeguard world peace and stability and promote mankind's progress and prosperity.
